


Glow of the Golden Sun

by officialjonsnow



Series: The Crossroad Chronicles [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28071564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/officialjonsnow/pseuds/officialjonsnow
Summary: Part of the backstory for my tabaxi ranger, Sunlight in the Meadow. The very start of her journey into becoming an adventurer begins with her leaving parts of her past behind.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: The Crossroad Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056383





	Glow of the Golden Sun

If the beaming sunlight through the canopy hadn’t woken Sun up, the sweet music that came flowing through the jungle would have. Sun picked up her head and gazed into the distance for a moment. 

It felt like such a long time had passed since she’d heard that song. She knew exactly who and where it was coming from. Sun stretched in the hammock she was laying in and peered around the stone pillar it was tied to. The ancient stone steps lead up and around the old temple structure her clan call home and into the deep jungle.

The tabaxi collected herself and stood up, heading for those old stone steps and into the jungle. Her clan had lived here in this old ruin for her entire life. The way her mother told it, they took back this part of the forest from a group of Pterafolk after they’d been pushed out. That was before her mother had come to Chult though, she only knew the story from Sun’s father.

Vines hung down from tall trees. Thick roots had grown up and all around the stone stairs and a moss had settled into the cracks as well. The jungle didn’t make it easy for those who weren’t used to it to exist. To Sun this was all a part of her daily routine. She hopped over unsteady steps, crouched under stubborn vines, and was careful not to slip on the moss that had not yet dried after this morning’s rain. 

The music grew louder as Sun travelled further into the jungle. She followed her ears and eventually came to the familiar group of trees and earthy path. The path came to an end at a curtain of vines. Sun pulled a section of the vines back, positive now that this was where the music was coming from. 

Two tall ivory statues of an ankylosaurus stood opposing each other at either side of a circular, shallow pool. The symbol of Ubtao was inlaid in gold and sprawled throughout the bottom of the pool. It shone faintly through the murky rain water and leaves. The shrine was hidden and rarely visited, more often than not, Sun would find the statues covered in the same vines and moss that had overtaken the stone steps just a few feets away. 

This quiet grove had been filled with the sound of a flute. A tawny tabaxi sat, perched on the base of one of the statues. Pine glanced up at Sun, then back down and kept playing that song.

Sun stalked over to the shrine, climbed up, and sat next to Pine. For a while, she just listened, trying to keep her gaze up at the canopy of the jungle. Tiny hints of sunlight were glaring in at the pair. She couldn’t help but glance over at Pine every so often. Her fur had grown out a bit over the last few months, her black markings had really begun to stand out against the rest of her fur.

Pine cut the song short and looked over at Sun. “You’re leaving today, aren’t you?”

Sun shook her head. “Tomorrow. I’m heading to Port Nyanzaru with my mom.”

“Ah…” the other tabaxi glanced back down at her flute and gently turned it between her fingers. “Are you nervous?”

“...A little bit.” Sun admitted. She hadn’t had time to think about being nervous. She’d spent so much time just planning the trip and working the details out and getting to this point and in just a few days the whole rest of the world would be laid out in front of her.

“Don’t be. You’ll find something out there that will be worth it.” Pine brought the flute back to her mouth and began playing again. It wasn’t anything that Sun recognized, but it still somehow settled in and took hold like Pine’s music always did.

The tune came to a sweeter, quieter moment, and Sun (who had just been sitting there with nothing but her thoughts) asked. “What if I don’t find anything? What if it’s not worth it?”

A smile creeped at the edge of Pine’s lips and she put the flute back down. “It will be.”

“Do you think it’s too late to change my mind?”

Sun watched the confusion and something akin to frustration appear on Pine’s face. “It never is, but I don’t think that’s what you want.” She turned where she sat and set the flute down next to her. “I know you, Sun. You’ve been talking about going out to see the world since we met. That’s the life you’ve wanted for forever. Go now while it’s in your mind or you’ll just keep coming up with excuses.” Pine reached forward and grabbed Sun’s hands in her own.

Sun’s stomach twisted and knotted itself all around, a feel she was all too familiar with around Pine. “You’re right.” she said, rubbing the backs’ of Pine’s hands with her thumbs. 

Pine smiled. “I usually am.”

Sun snickered and leaned back against the shrine, letting go of Pine’s hands. 

The tawny tabaxi had a smile on her face as she looked away from Sun and picked her flute back up to play another song. She started playing their song. A slow, romantic melody that Sun had first heard her play years ago. 

Music filled the space and the silence between the two of them as they sat for a moment, just enjoying each other’s familiar presence.

“Pine?”

The other tabaxi cocked an eyebrow.

“Why are you so okay with me leaving? All you ever wanted for  _ us _ was to stay here and just be and now you’re practically pushing me away.”

Pine shook her head, finished her last note and put the flute in the lap again. “I’m not pushing you away, I’m not trying to at least.” She looked at Sun with the same look she always had when they got to talking about their future. Forlorn, like she was already mourning the loss of something she hadn’t lost. “I still care about you, Sun, but that chapter of our lives is over. I want you to leave because I know that’s what you want. It’s important to me that you’re happy.”

Sun nodded, taking in the answer. She always found comfort in Pine’s words, now more than ever somehow. “And what if I don’t come back?”

“That will be your choice.” Pine answered, reaching behind her, grabbing her pack and stowing her flute away.

“Yeah…” Sun responded, lost in her thoughts. 

Pine leaned over and rested her head on Sun’s shoulder. “Sun…” She wrapped her arms around the white and blue tabaxi and they sat there like that for a moment. “Sun… just don’t forget about home while you’re gone. We’re going to be gone from you just as much as you’ll be gone from us.” 

Sun looked down at Pine who now had a gentle smile playing at the corners of her face. “Okay.” She mumbled, and she sat there with Pine, just taking in the old sights and sounds of the jungle while the light faded from above them.


End file.
